Starbucks chief slammed after commuting 1,000 miles to office and back by company jet
STARBUCKS is getting roasted for letting its new boss commute 1,000 miles to the office and back by company jet.
The coffee giant — which trumpets its sustainability credentials and preaches on recycling — is paying Brian Niccol £76.6million in his first year.
As part of a flexible working agreement, he will fly once a week from his home in Newport Beach, California, to its HQ in Seattle, Washington, and stay three days before returning.
The distance would be an 18-hour drive, but the company’s jet will take two and a half.
Starbucks is also footing the bill for a “small remote office” in Newport Beach and a personal assistant of his choosing.
Mr Niccol’s “personal travel expenses” will be $250,000 (£191,500) a year.
Starbucks’s use of polluting jets has led to accusations of double standards after it pushed paper straws for customers.
One customer wrote on X/Twitter: “Seriously?
“New CEO Brian Niccol to take 1,000-mile private jet commute?
“In an age where the richest are proven primary contributors to damage to the environment?
“I imagine you have lost a few customers through this — you’ve certainly lost me.”
Mr Niccol, 50, was headhunted from burritos chain Chipotle to help reverse sliding sales.
Starbucks, which has 38,000 coffee shops worldwide, has been shunned by customers fed-up with soaring prices.